Non-classical pathways of crystallization in colloidal systems

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent research on non-classical crystallization pathways in colloidal systems, highlighting how multiple order parameter fluctuations influence nucleation and polymorph selection, with implications for understanding vitrification.

Contribution

It provides a microscopic perspective on non-classical nucleation pathways, emphasizing the decoupling of symmetry breaking and its role in polymorph selection and vitrification.

Findings

Non-classical pathways involve multiple order parameter fluctuations.

Decoupling of positional and orientational symmetry breaking influences nucleation.

Nucleation pathways are linked to vitrification and polymorph selection.

Abstract

Colloidal systems offer the ideal conditions to study the nucleation process, both from an experimental viewpoint, due to their relative large size and long time-scales, and from a modeling point of view, due to the tunability of their interactions. Here we review some recent works that study the process of colloidal crystallization from a microscopic perspective. We focus in particular on non-classical pathways to nucleation where the appearance of the solid crystals involves fluctuations of two (or more) order parameters. We interpret the non-classical behavior as a decoupling of positional and orientational symmetry breaking. We then consider how the nucleation pathway determines which polymorph is selected upon nucleation from the melt. Moreover we show how the study of nucleation pathways not only sheds new light on the microscopic mechanism of nucleation, but also provides important information regarding its avoidance, thus suggesting a deep link between crystallization and vitrification.